Kids & Company Named One of Canada's Best Managed Companies for Eighth Year in a Row
Kids & Company, the leading provider of corporate-sponsored child-care, has been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the eighth year in a row. This makes the company a Platinum winner of the award.
Kids & Company was recognized for overall business performance and sustained growth with the prestigious Canada’s Best Managed Companies designation. The 2021 Best Managed program award winners are amongst the best-in-class of Canadian owned and managed companies with revenues over $25 million demonstrating leadership in the areas of strategy, capabilities and innovation, culture and commitment, and financials to achieve sustainable growth. Now in its 28th year, Canada’s Best Managed Companies remains one of the country’s leading business awards programs recognizing Canadian-owned and managed companies for innovative, world-class business practices. Every year, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates the calibre of their management abilities and practices.
Kids & Company’s continued focus on accommodating working parents with very flexible child-care and back-up support during the pandemic contributed to their Platinum win. The company introduced new programs to help parents during these unprecedented times, such as Kidco at Home, an online resource room filled with curriculum suggestions, virtual events and webinars. They also added the We’ve Got You Package to address the needs of parents on leave and at home with children, who could use occasional child care.
Kids & Company not only supported working parents during this past year, but also provided full-time, flexible part-time and back-up only care for essential and frontline workers coast-to-coast. Kids & Company created a Kidco Response Team, with a number of senior team members who continue to consult with experts in Public Health, regional ministries and licensing authorities to ensure they take every step to provide the highest quality and safest care for the children and staff in our centres.
“To become a Best Managed Platinum Club winner is nothing short of remarkable. Their continued adaptability in an era of uncertainty sets the standard for how to overcome new barriers and demonstrate resilience at the highest levels,” said Kari Lockhart, Partner, Deloitte Private and Co-Leader, Canada’s Best Managed Companies program. “This year’s Platinum Club winners are the Canadian cornerstone for outstanding business in 2021.”
Applicants are evaluated by an independent judging panel comprised of representatives from program sponsors in addition to special guest judges. 2021 Best Managed companies share commonalities that include (but are not limited to) enabling a remote workforce, making employee health a top priority, acting with an increased sense of purpose and social responsibility, and a significantly heightened focus on cash flow.
“2020 was a tough year for parents, for child-care workers and for businesses,” said Kids & Company co-founder and CEO Victoria Sopik. “But Kids & Company rose to the challenge through innovation and grit. This recognition is a testament to our dedicated team for pushing through the barriers to do the most important job: taking care of our children.”
“This year’s Best Managed winners demonstrate the organizational grit required to thrive in these increasingly uncertain times,” said Peter Brown, Partner, Deloitte Private and Co-Leader, Canada’s Best Managed Companies program. “By putting their people first, and showing the courage to experiment and take risks, they were able to overcome some of today’s most pressing challenges. This year’s winners were able to succeed because they weren’t afraid to fail.”
2021 winners of the Canada’s Best Managed Companies award will be honoured at a virtual gala. The Best Managed virtual symposium will address leading-edge business issues that are key to the success of today’s business leaders. The Best Managed program is sponsored by Deloitte Private, CIBC, Canadian Business, Smith School of Business, and TMX Group.
About Canada’s Best Managed Companies
Canada’s Best Managed Companies continues to be the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $25 million. Every year since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies have competed for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices. The awards are granted on four levels: 1) Canada’s Best Managed Companies new winner (one of the new winners selected each year); 2) Canada’s Best Managed Companies winner (award recipients that have re-applied and successfully retained their Best Managed designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review); 3) Gold Standard winner (after three consecutive years of maintaining their Best Managed status, these winners have demonstrated their commitment to the program and successfully retained their award for 4-6 consecutive years); 4) Platinum Club member (winners that have maintained their Best Managed status for seven years or more). Program sponsors are Deloitte Private, CIBC, Canadian Business, Smith School of Business, and TMX Group. For more information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.